Now that you are pregnant, it is essential that you take care of yourself both emotionally and physically. To increase the chance of having a problem-free pregnancy as well as a healthy baby you need to follow this simple guideline.

Get an early prenatal care: A good prenatal care is very important for you as well as your baby. You only need to give a call to your healthcare provider and fix an appointment for your first prenatal visit.

Watch out what you are eating: You need to eat for two. This means you will have to eat 300 extra calories every day and a lot of protein. 70 grams per day would be fine. However, your calcium requirement can remain the same but make sure you meet it. You may want to steer clear of meat and undercooked eggs, dairy products, cold deli meats, unpasteurized juices and raw seafood…

Headaches and migraines are quite common. A lot of people in New Zealand face this problem. It is also prevalent among children in the country other than the adults. Causes of migraine can be many. But there are remedies to get relief from this pain as well. There are in fact many home remedies that can help alleviating migraine pain & other kinds of headaches.

Lavender oil: Lavender doesn’t only smell good, it is also a very useful remedy for migraines and headaches. It may either be applied topically or inhaled. 2-4 drops for 2-3 cups boiling water is recommended while inhaling the lavender-oil vapours as headache treatment. Unlike a lot of medicinal oils, lavender oil can even be applied safely externally without needing to dilute it. However, lavender oil must not be orally taken.

Peppermint oil: This is a very soothing treatment, which can reduce headaches that arise from tensions. It smells fresh and has vaso-dilating & vaso-constricting properties, which help control the flow of blood in body. Migraine pain & headaches occur mainly because of poor flow of blood. The peppermint oil basically helps in opening and closing the vessels that promote the flow. This home remedy opens up sinuses allowing a lot more oxygen to get into bloodstream.

Basil oil: Basil is a herb. It is usually used as toppings in pastas & pizzas. It definitely smells well and tastes good. People who are looking for natural treatment can use the oil from this plant. Basil is a great muscle relaxant and one of the best Chinese herbal remedies for treating migraine and headaches that are caused by tension.

Diet fixes: A very useful home remedy to reduce migraine pain & headache involves making dietary changes. There are a few food products that affect the severity and frequency of migraine pain & headaches. Those foods must be avoided in the diet. They include chocolate, dairy, banana, onions, citrus, bacon, foods with tyramine, foods which are fermented and many more.

Scalp massage: You can massage your scalp yourself. It is a great way of alleviating migraine pain. Researchers in New Zealand showed that massaging the greater occipital nerve lessens migraine pain.

Feverfew: Feverfew is generally used for treating fever but can even be used as a herbal for headache treatment. In fact, a study showed that there was great improvement in people who suffered from migraine when they took feverfew daily along with white willow that contain the same properties like that of aspirin.

So, if you are suffering from headache or migraine pain, try using these remedies and see how well they work!

Love to highlight your eyes with liner? You may need to be careful, as a new study claims that eyeliner application on the inner eyelid can contaminate the eye causing vision related problems.

The study by a University of Waterloo scientist Dr. Alison Ng, which is the first to prove that particles from pencil eyeliner move into the eye, used video recordings to observe and compare the amount of eyeliner particles that migrated into the tear film – the thin coating protecting the eye – after applying makeup in different styles.

Within five minutes, between 15 and 30 per cent more particles moved into the eye’s tear film when subjects applied eyeliner to the inside of the lash line, compared to outside it. The makeup also moved more quickly into the eye when eyeliner was applied inside the lash line.

As time passes, the amount of makeup entering the tear film steadily drops and by two hours, there was a negligible amount of eyeliner left. However, Dr. Ng and her colleagues say eyeliner can alter the tear film, adding to discomfort.

Eyeliner ingredients commonly include waxes, oils, silicones and natural gums to help eyeliner stick to eyelids and last for prolonged periods. It has to adhere through blinking, sweating and the secretion of natural oils.

Resulting complications include irritation and redness, introduction of harmful bacteria from the eyeliner, and in some cases, eye infections or blurred vision.

Dr. Ng said that people who wear contact lenses were most likely to notice some problems, adding that pencil eyeliner was thoroughly sharpened, it gives a fresh tip which can help prevent infection.

The results are published in the journal Eye and Contact Lens Science and Clinical Practice.